glass sphere spotlights renzo piano’s academy museum of motion pictures, hollywood

saflex structural interlayer is versatile, applicable to virtually all types of glass, and is compatible with vanceva colors and earth tones interlayer.

stephen landy edited by eirini ilia March 17, 2023 4 min

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Sphere innovates Glazing construction

Sitting at the center of Renzo Piano‘s design for ‘The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ in Los Angeles, California, an awe-inspiring laminated glass dome pays homage to the power of movies. The project’s six stories include more than 50,000 square feet (4,645 sqm) of immersive permanent and temporary exhibition galleries, as well as theaters, event spaces and an accessible sheltered rooftop. The terrace’s laminated glass covering is supported by Eastman’s Saflex™ Structural PVB interlayers, offering panoramic views and reflecting Hollywood’s glitz and glamour.

glass sphere spotlights renzo piano's academy museum of motion pictures, hollywood - 1 — the academy museum of motion pictures utilizes saflex structural pvb in laminated glass sphere feature

image © Academy of Motion Pictures

introducing the academy of motion pictures

‘The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ is designed by renowned Pritzker Prize winner Renzo Piano and his team at Renzo Piano Building Workshop, in collaboration with Gensler. The museum amalgamates two separate structures. Firstly, the May Company Building, built in 1939, houses the museum portion of the project. It’s accompaniment is a new precast concrete volume, housing a 1000-seat theater and topped transparent sphere that shelters a rooftop recreational space.

glass sphere spotlights renzo piano's academy museum of motion pictures, hollywood - 2 — the stiffness and adhesion of saflex structural pvb interlayers allows for a reduction in glass thickness and overall costs

image © Academy of Motion Pictures

Unique design system utiziles modern Saflex pvb interlayer technology

To shield the visitors to the terrace from the elements, a unique braced steel ‘shingle’ system was designed by knippershelbig. Consisting of 146 differently shaped panels, 1,500 panes of glass accommodate the complex geometry of the dome, which is 45.4 meters in diameter. This futuristic roof withstands LA’s tropical climate and frequent earthquakes while maintaining maximum transparency. The glazing manufacturer Saflex Structural PVB interlayers allow the glass to be strong enough to meet these specifications and realize the ambitious curved form.

glass sphere spotlights renzo piano's academy museum of motion pictures, hollywood - 3 — the material withstands LA’s tropical conditions and frequent earthquakes

image © Academy of Motion Pictures

Versatile Saflex Structural interlayers add strength and stability to glass

Within the steel grid there are two panes of glass, the inner pane is supported by an invisible custom dead-load pin connection and the outer glass is supported by Saflex Structural PVB interlayers. The PVB enhances laminated glass strength and opens possibilities in transparent construction. The Tennesse-based manufacturer’s interlayer protects against severe weather conditions, high and low temperatures, and heavy impacts. The stiffness and adhesion of the Saflex product allows for the same load capacity to be achieved with a reduction in glass thickness, thereby reducing overall weight and cost. When combined with their  Vanceva™ Color PVB interlayers, beautiful and innovative spaces can be achieved.